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Hope Is an Anchor

Last week as we sat around the dinner table, our oldest explained to us that he had been doing some speculating with some of his friends. Somehow they got on the topic of heaven. They decided that maybe we are already in heaven. All I could immediately think of was The Truman show, the movie Jim Carrey starred in back in 1998. The main character, Truman, thought he was living a normal life, only to discover his whole life was a reality TV show.

We unpacked Joshua and his friends’ idea a little together. The theory instantly fell apart, of course, when he considered the part about heaven having no more sorrow, pain, or tears.

I had several thoughts from that conversation. First, I love how my big guy is a little philosopher and takes the time to analyze the world around him. Second, I love that he has friends he can talk with about heaven. Third, I considered what if that fact was indeed true. If this is heaven, I’d hate to know what hell is like, is all I can say.

Ultimately, what struck me most, is that my son’s life is good enough that he could even consider our world to be heaven. Just yesterday I read some local news including gun shots fired, an attack at an apartment complex, and an assault on a woman on our college campus in an area I’ve walked many times. The violence continues to grow and gain severity in our used to be quiet town. And let’s not even get started talking about the poor pregnant mother that was shot in the head just an hour away, the wife of a pastor, who clearly had a servant’s heart.

My mind has a hard time comprehending earth as heaven as I read about Syrian refugees and terrorist attacks. How can my son’s life feel so wonderful while others in our world are suffering through incomprehensible circumstances?

Apparently, I have many blessings to count during this holiday season.

My faith wavers at times. I have moments of fear that this life of mine may be all there is to experience. I think I would be infinitely more selfish if the hope of heaven didn’t exist in my life. Forget about using religion as a crutch; it’s one of the few things making me a decent human being.

Take a few moments to reflect on the following scripture. In light of all of the evil in the world, thank goodness we have promises that tether us to a better future.

Hebrews 6:11-19

11 Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. 12 Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.

13 For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying:

14 “I will certainly bless you,

and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.”

15 Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.

16 Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. 17 God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. 18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.